Mount Saint Mary's Convent and Academy explained

Mount Saint Mary's Academy and Convent
Location:410 South Church Street
Grass Valley, California
Coordinates:39.2147°N -121.0675°W
Built:1865 or 1866
Architecture:Gothic Revival-Renaissance Revival-Georgian Revival-Victorian
Added:May 3, 1974
Refnum:74000543
Designated Other1:California
Designated Other1 Date:1972-04-24
Designated Other1 Number:855

Mount Saint Mary's Convent and Academy, originally the Sacred Heart Convent and Holy Angels Orphanage and previously Mount St. Mary's Convent and Orphan Asylum, and also known as Mount Saint Mary's Academy and Convent, is the only extant original orphanage in California and commemorates the Sisters of Mercy, in Grass Valley, Nevada County, California.[1]

The Gothic Revival Style Victorian building with Georgian Revival accents currently houses the Grass Valley Museum, at 410 South Church Street between Chapel and Dalton Streets, Grass Valley.[2] [3]

History

Katherine Russell (sister of Charles Russell, Baron Russell of Killowen and better known as Mother Mary Baptist Russell, or simply "Mother Baptist") arrived in San Francisco with seven other Sisters of Mercy on 1854-12-08[4] from Kinsale, County Cork, Ireland; other Sisters followed.[5] On 1863-08-20, spearheaded by vicar-general Father Thomas Dalton,[6] five Sisters, including Mother Baptist,[7] arrived in Grass Valley to help the California Gold Rush miners' orphans. Bishop Eugene O'Connell placed the cornerstone for the convent/orphanage building on Sunday, 1865-05-02. The Sisters moved in on 1866-03-20, and the first orphans were taken in on 1866-04-02.[1]

The orphanage closed in 1932 and the facility was de-sanctified in 1968. The following year, in 1969, the Grass Valley Historic Preservation Committee began repair and preservation of the building and the Sisters' rose garden.[8] The Foley Library for Historical Research in nearby Nevada City, California retains historical documents for Mount St. Mary's.[9] Mount Saint Marys Academy is still running as a school.

Construction

The building is three stories tall, and was built at a cost of $19,856, including construction and interior furnishings.

Landmark designation

This Nevada County building is honored as on the National Register of Historic Places[10] and as California Historical Landmark No. 855, registered in 1972-04-24. The plaque's inscription states:

Mount Saint Mary's Convent and Academy

Built by Reverend Thomas J. Dalton, the Sacred Heart Convent and Holy Angels Orphanage was dedicated May 2, 1865 by Bishop Eugene O'Connell. Under the Sisters of Mercy, it served from 1866 to 1932 as the first orphanage of the Northern Mines. It functioned as an academy from 1868 to 1965 and as a convent from 1866 to 1968.[11]

The plaque was placed on the building on October 28, 1972, by the California Department of Parks and Recreation.[12]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Mount St. Mary's Convent and Orphan Asylum . 2008-07-28 . malakoff.com.
  2. A Queen and an Empire . 2008-07-29 . Evans . Ron . September 1998 . Viamagazine.com.
  3. Web site: Grass Valley Museum . 2008-07-29 . ncgold.com . https://archive.today/19980524132430/http://www.ncgold.com/Museums_Parks/GVmuseum.html . 1998-05-24 . dead .
  4. News: Julie . Sly . Sisters of Mercy celebrate 150 years of service in state . diocese-sacramento.org . 2007-10-06 . 2008-07-29 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080905132820/http://www.diocese-sacramento.org/herald/articles/071006sisters.html . September 5, 2008 .
  5. Web site: The Sisters of Mercy's California Adventure . 2008-07-29 . Sanfilippo . Helena . 2003-05-16 . mercyburl.org . https://web.archive.org/web/20070922224415/http://www.mercyburl.org/press_kit/pdf/san_filippo_article.pdf . 2007-09-22 . dead .
  6. Book: Herbermann, Charles George . The Catholic encyclopedia; an international work of reference on the constitution, doctrine, discipline, and history of the Catholic church . orphanage grass valley. . 294 . 1913 . Universal Knowledge Foundation . New York . 6974688.
  7. News: Mercy Sisters leaving Grass Valley after 138 years of service . 2008-07-29 . Westlund . Nancy . 2001-02-03 . The Catholic Herald . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080905134204/http://www.diocese-sacramento.org/herald/backissues/20010203/index.htm . September 5, 2008 .
  8. News: Patricia L. . Minch . Secret garden revealed . theunion.com . 2008-06-13 . 2008-07-29 . May 24, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110524101033/http://www.theunion.com/article/20080613/NEWS/838619397/1066%26parentprofile%3D1053 . dead .
  9. Web site: Interactive Discussions: Nevada County History and Ancestors . 2008-07-29 . June 2008 . Nevada County Historical Society . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080515091527/http://www.nevadacountyhistory.org/htmls/ask_a_question.html . May 15, 2008 .
  10. Web site: Women's Progress Commemorative Commission . 6 . 2008-07-28 . Women's Progress Commemorative Commission, National Park Service.
  11. Web site: NO. 855 MOUNT SAINT MARY'S CONVENT AND ACADEMY. 2008-07-28. ceres.ca.gov. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20080511144844/http://ceres.ca.gov/geo_area/counties/Nevada/landmarks.html. 2008-05-11.
  12. Web site: California Landmark 855 . 2008-08-01 . noehill.com.